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Wednesday, December 16, 2015

When To Tell Someone About God

At
the very time Simeon was praying, [Anna] showed up, broke into an anthem of
praise to God, and talked about the child to all who were waiting expectantly
for the freeing of Jerusalem.

Luke 2:38 (MSG)

Anna couldn’t keep her mouth shut.

She broke into song and told everyone
about Jesus! Imagine her exuberance as she darted from person to person
exclaiming the good news. She couldn’t control herself and didn’t try.

In contrast, Luke 2:19 tells us that
“Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself.”

This makes sense. A mother who brags
about her ‘special’ son is just another adoring mother. Anna’s praise for the
baby was much more effective. Everyone in town knew she had dedicated her life
to this very moment. I’ll bet they paid attention. For those who remembered
Anna’s declaration 30+ years later, it was life changing.

Anna was intent that everyone knows
about the baby Jesus.

Are we as intentional as Anna? Does saying
Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays tell people that Jesus is the Messiah?
Is talking about Jesus even restricted to the holiday season? No, no and no.

When you see Jesus in your life,
tell someone.

When God answers a prayer, talk
about it.

When He comforts you with a timely
hug or phone call, declare it a God incident instead of a coincidence.

When the Holy Spirit guides you to just
the place you were meant to be, don’t keep quiet.

While you still feel grateful, surprised,
touched, and excited about God’s activity in your life, tell someone. These God
moments present perfect opportunities to share your faith in a natural way.